Tomorrow - Joy and Sadness... Smiles and Tears

Yes, happiness and sadness will come tomorrow. I've never understood how the heart can hold so much joy, but sadness at the same time. We've all felt these feelings before, and tomorrow, I'll feel it again........ My cousins from North Carolina (NC's still the South, ya'll - we discussed that yesterday) have been here since late Wednesday night and my family has spent Thursday and Friday with them, will probably spend tonight with them, and then they'll come to our church tomorrow. We have had the most AMAZING time! We haven't gotten to see eachother for maybe...... 3 or 4 years??? We've already become so close - all of us - and I'm sittin' back thanking God every single day for such wonderful cousins! There's 7 of them, and then me and my sibings make 4, so 11 altogther!!! We've bonded so much over the past 2 days, and then tomorrow afternoon, there will be a tearful, sad good-bye to all of them as I simultaneously, and happily, get on the church van with my brother to go to camp. I feel like they're our real brothers and sisters! All of them! They'll be leaving Tuesday, so me and my brother won't get to see them again until the next time they come. But it won't be too long - either later this year, or half of next summer!!!!! So, there's one other thing to be happy about!!!! Count your blessings, Erica... Trust me, I am. I have a million!!!! My cousin Aubrey and I are so similar! A few differences here and there, but we're very alike! She's younger than me and taller - 2 or 3 inches taller!!!! It makes me feel like an elf, I mean, her two older brothers are taller than me, but they're also younger than me! So, just a fill-in for the week that's coming - I won't be posting til I get back. Ü Please pray for their journey back to NC and me and my brother's journey to and from camp with our church. Thanks y'all!!

My piano recital was Thursday - and to be honest, I had a wonderful, almost enchanting expirience! For the first time, I did the prelude music, then turned the pages for my piano teacher playing the flute and this guy playing the guitar (no big deal turning pages, but it was my first time!), and then played my piece Romance by Lizst, then my piano teacher played the flute and I played piano to Nocturne by Lovland (there's words to it, but we decided to leave that out), and then another student of hers and I played Fantasy (a duet) by Timothy Brown. The whole thing was like magic. Normally, I hate recitals, but this time.....

...................til next week!!!!!